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I know. Now your humming the song, right? Well, I guess it depends on what generation you are. I'm really not THAT old (just kidding mom ;), but I have to admit that I am indeed an old soul. I do love me some Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette! Okay, so the title of that song probably sounds hokey, but Tammy Winette may have been onto something.

Now before I lose any of you, let me explain what I mean. There will be times you won't want to hash it out and hang in there with your guy, but just deciding ahead of time that you will do it anyway makes it easier when the time does comes to decide. Decision done! No need to make that decision in the heat of the moment.

Stand by him in your thoughts, actions and especially your words. Our guys need our affirmation and encouragement. Sometimes they carry a pretty heavy load, but they may not let on that the burden gets heavy. However, when we come alongside and let them know we are cheering them on and believe in them, it makes a huge difference in easing that load and giving them that extra push they need to get thru. I'll be the first to admit that I do have the advantage of having a cheerleader mentality. After all, I was always the die-hard cheerleader in high school who thought our football team could pull out a win in the last 2 minutes, even if they were losing by 3 touchdowns. Go ahead and laugh. Haha. I laugh at myself thinking about it. However that kind of mentality has served me well in our marriage. I think the world of Allen and as far as I'm concerned, there ain't nothin that man of mine can't do. He is absolutely incredible! Oh...did I mention I'm also a romanticist (just in case you haven't already figured that one out). Works for us though. Keeps us a-dreamin and a-lovin!

It also helps that Allen values me. He values my opinions, my dreams, my goals, my emotions. He simply values me, and that just endears my heart to him even more and makes me want to be his biggest fan! Even in his failures, he still needs to know that his wife believes in him...even if it's just to cheer him on in getting back up again. Just that can help him be the man God called him to be. The influence we have on our men can not be over emphasized. It is so important for us to be on their team!

So now I'm gonna set my pom poms down for a few mintues and share some practical ways you can stand by your man.

Here are some quick and easy things to say to to encourage your husband:

1. I believe in you!

2. You're doing a great job!

3. I'm proud of you!

4. I love being your wife!

5. You've got this!

6. You have big muscles. (That has got to make him smile, at least).

7. You've got a cute tush! Hahaha. Ok. That one might just make him laugh, but laughter lightens the load too. For more on that, check out this previous post.

8. I'm your biggest fan!

9. There's no one more handsome than you.

10. You're the only one for me.

So you get the idea. It doesn't take much effort to affirm our guys and let them know we are proud of them (even if they don't do things the way we would do them. Although sometimes, if we can take a step back and get a different perspective, we might even be able to see that their way is pretty awesome too!). It's the little things we say and do that can really help them carry those heavy burdens.

So come on ladies! We can do this! Let's grab those pom poms and cheer our guys on (even on the days we don't feel like it)! It won't always be easy but totally worth the investment!